Thomas c



(No Model.)

' T. C. JOHNSON. l

TEMPORARY'GARTRIDGB HOLDING CLIP. No. 572,361.

Patented Deo. 11 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VINCIIESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TEMPORARY CARTRIDGE-HOLDING CLIP.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 572,361, dated December 1, 1896.

Application filed October 5,1896. Serial No. 607,880. (No model.)

To all whom, if; may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, of New llaven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Temporary Cartridge-Holding Clips; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this speciiication, and represent, in

Figure 1, a view in side elevation showing one form of a temporary cartridge-holding clip constructed in accordance with my invention, the said clip being shown as charged with cartridges; Fig. 2, a detached perspective view of the clip; Fig. 3, a View of the clip in vertical section; Fig. 4, a view of one of the modified forms which the clip may assume.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of temporary cartridge-holding clips which are designed to be used for the loading of the magazines of box-magazine firearms, the obj ect being to produce at a very low cost for manufacture a simple, light, effective, and convenient clip, constructed with particular reference to the segregation and convenient handling of a given number of cartridges constituting a charge and also constructed with particular reference to the automatic clearance of the clip from the cartridges when the same are introduced into the gun.

\Vith these ends in View my invention consists in a temporary cartridge-holding clip comprising a U-shaped elastic sheet-metal strap closed at its top, open at its bottom, where it is provided with cartridge-retaining ribs and spreading-lianges,open at its rear and forward edges, and constructed to engage and hold a charge of cartridges by their forward ends.

My invention further consists in a temporary cartridge-holding clip comprising a U- shaped sheet-metal strap furnished at its ends with spreading-fl an ges and having a frictionlining.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invent-ion, as shown in Figs. l To 4, inclusive, of the drawings, my improved clip, which is by preference longitudinally bowed in side elevation, is composed of a U -shaped strap A, formed of sheet metal, such as sheet steel, tin, brass, or any other sheet metal found to have the required elasticity. This strap is bent to be crowning at its topand open at its bottom, where the metal is set inward to form two in wardly-projecting oppositely-located cartridge-retainin g ribs A' A and two diverging slightly-bowed spreading-anges A2 A2, which also have the office of locating-anges for locating the clip in right position upon the gun preparatory to the loading of its cartridges therein. The rear and forward edges of the strap are also open.

My improved clip also comprises, as shown in Figs. l and 2, a lining B, which may consist of rubber, felt, or any other material which will constitute a friction-lining. This lining should be sufficiently yielding to allow the forward ends of the cartridges to be imbedded somewhat in it, so as to secure a rm held for them. As shown,the lining is secured in place by rivets l) I), but it may, if preferred, be secured in place by cement, by lips or teeth cut out of the body of the strap, or in any other way found to be effective.

Byl preference I shall make the clip longitudinally bowed, as shown, as that permits the tapering form of the cartridges to be taken advantage of in arranging them side by side and claspin g them together by their forward ends, which are smallerin diameter than their rear ends. However, if the clip were made straight instead of bowed it would still be operative.

In using the clip the forward or bullet ends of the cartridges are stuck into it from its open rear edge, or they may be forced into it from its open bottom. When in position, they are so embedded in the friction-lining and so gripped by the elastic sides of the clip that they will be confined and held with sufficient firmness to permit the clip to undergo any form of usage which a segregated charge of cartridges would naturally undergo under ordinary circumstances of use. Thus the user of the gun might fill his pockets with charged clips without fear that any of the cartridges might work loose, or he might carry a number of charged clips in a belt, or he might arrange the clips in position convenient for handling them very rapidly in loading the gun. lVhen the gun is loaded by means of a clip, the cartridges are gripped by their head ends between the fingers in such a manner that the clip itself makes no Contact with the ngers. The spreading-flanges of the clip are then pressed again st the magazine of the gun or some other part thereof and the clip forced inward, whereby the anges assist in locatingl the clip and also in spreadin g the sam e. The cartridges are then forced inward while the clip is open. 'When the last cartridge passes between the retaining-ribs of the clip, the tendency of its sides to spring together is such that they snap over the inner surface of the last cartridge in such a way as to canse the Vclip to be forcibly shot away from the gun and entirely cleared therefrom. In other words, the clip will be snapped, so to speak, off from the last cartridge, so as to take itself out of the way.

In the modified construction shown by Fig. 4 the lining is dispensed with and the sides of the clip corrugated, so as t0 form pockets for the reception of cartridges; but as at present advised I prefer to employ the lining, as being the most effective mode of constructing the clip.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A temporary cartridge-holdin g clip coinprising a U shaped elastic sheet-metal strap, closed at its top, open at its bottom, where it is provided with cartridge-retaining ribs and spreading-flanges, open at its rear and forward edges, and constructed to engage and hold a charge of cartridges by their forward ends.

2. Atemporarycartridge-holding clip comprising a U-shaped sheet-metal strap, furnished at its ends with spreading-anges, and having a friction-lining.

3. Atemporary cartridge-holding clip comprising a longitudinallybowed U-shaped strap having its top closed and its bottom open, and its rear and forward edges open and longitudinally bowed, and also comprising a friction-lining.

4. Atemporarycartridge-holding clip comprising a U-shaped sheet-metal strap, closed at its top, open at its bottom, open at its rear and forward edges, formed at its bottom with two inwardly-projecting cartridge-retaining rbs,and two outwardly-projecting spreadingflanges, and provided also with a frictionlining.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

XVitnesses:

DANIEL II. YEADER, A. C. CURTIS. 

